by Mari Farthing, Book End Babe Chapter 1 Member

We’ve all got something to say. But let’s be clear: not all of us are writers.

Is that too harsh to say? Well, the good news is that writers are often bred, not born. This is especially true when it comes to freelance writing. Many common factors are bringing people to freelance writing. The bad economy, the search for secondary or new sources of income and the draw of a career as a writer are enticing. Add to that the instant delivery system that is the internet, and it seems an easy career choice.

These factors can work against a budding freelancer. As the editor of a locally-based parenting publication, I receive many submissions over the course of the week. Some of these I read and I’ve found great writers based on these email submissions. In fact, I found my first freelancing gig (at the publication where I am now the editor) through a cold e-mail.

It’s not uncommon for freelancers to forge long, successful partnerships with local publications that can be expanded to a national career based on reprints and more cold submissions. But just as easily, these submissions can lead to nothing. There are many factors that cause an editor to read a query, and just as many that cause that same editor to quickly hit the delete key.

So how do you make yourself stand out as a great writer? There are a few tips you can follow that will make a huge difference in your queries.

· Identify yourself. Include some information about yourself in your query. My name is Mari, I live in Oklahoma City – editors want to know that. Especially when you are sending information to local publications which tend to skew to local writers.
· Don’t spam. If I see a writer is addressing me (as opposed to “undisclosed recipients”) I’m much more likely to keep reading.
· Write well. Use proper grammar. Try to avoid slang or vernacular unless it’s very tied to your topic.
· Be personable but not personal. I want to get some clues to your personality (the editor/writer relationship is a close one) but I don’t want to know too much about you right away. Save something for later.
· Be concise. If you choose to paste an article in your email, that’s great; but lead your email with an engaging few sentences that make me want to read your article.
· Clean it up! We all cut and paste to save time and energy, but please be sure that the fonts, sizes, spacing, etc., are neat and orderly. An email that is obviously patched together is not one I want to read.

Among other things, Mari Farthing is the Editor at MetroFamily Magazine in Oklahoma City (MetroFamilyMagazine.com). She also maintains a personal blog at MariMargene.Blogspot.com.

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